Highest honour for teenage trooper

The bravery of a 19-year-old soldier was revealed today as he collected the George Cross from the Queen.

Trooper Christopher Finney was awarded the highest honour for saving a comrade's life while under so-called "friendly" fire in Iraq.

He received his medal at a special Buckingham Palace investiture, where the Queen decorated 96 military and civilian personnel for outstanding bravery in the allied action against Saddam Hussein's regime.

Afterwards, Finney said: "I don't know what was more nerve-racking - receiving this medal or when we were under fire."

He is the youngest serviceman to receive the highest award for acts of conspicuous gallantry when not in the face of the enemy. With him at the Palace was Lance Corporal Alan Tudball, whose life he saved.

Finney was driving the lead Scimitar armoured vehicle of his troop with D Squadron Household Cavalry Regiment north of Basra when his vehicle and the one behind came under aircraft attack.

Both caught fire and ammunition was exploding in the turrets. Finney scrambled clear but saw Tudball, his gunner, was trapped in the blazing turret. He returned to haul him to a safer spot.

Finney went back to his still-burning Scimitar and radioed HQ before returning to Tudball. The aircraft attacked again as Finney struggled to get Tudball to the safety of another vehicle. Finney was wounded in the back and legs, but still got his gunner to safety.

Seeing that the driver of the second blazing Scimitar was still inside it, he tried to rescue him but was beaten back by heat, smoke and exploding ammunition. The full citation praised Finney's " clearheaded courage and devotion to his comrades which was out of all proportion to his age and experience."